Every year approximately 1.19 million people die, and 50 million people are left with life-altering injuries. The urgency is clear: road crashes are not just statistics; they are a global epidemic affecting children, young adults, and communities at large. If current trends continue, road crashes are poised to become the 5th leading cause of death for all age groups by 2030, resulting in an additional 13 million deaths and 500 million injuries.
In order to mobilize private sector funding for safer roads, the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and PVBLIC Foundation are launching today at the Geneva International Motor Show 24Seconds, a corporate global brand fundraising initiative. The name of the initiative results from the baseline data at the start of the UNRSF that every 24 seconds someone dies on the roads due to a crash.
24Seconds vision: global brands to be the engine for safe and sustainable mobility
The goal of 24Seconds is to tell the story of road safety in an engaging and marketing-oriented way in order to build awareness among the business community on the types of legislative and policy gaps that need to be closed in developing countries to improve road safety. With better corporate awareness, 24Seconds seeks to secure new, largely corporate, donor commitments in support of UNRSF.
24Seconds invites individuals, corporate partners and influencers to participate through a variety of means:
- Direct Donations: making a financial contribution to save lives on the roads.
- 24Seconds Brand Collab: Market 24Seconds-branded products to raise funds.
- Dissemination Partners: Amplifying messages and building up the community.
The generated money will go directly to filling critical gaps in national road safety systems across low- and middle-income countries through the implementation of projects by the UNRSF global partnership. Through these projects, the UNRSF partnership will:
- Establish and enforce traffic rules, including helmet usage.
- Elevate vehicle safety standards.
- Standardize road designs to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
- Enhance post-crash emergency care.
- Strengthen road safety management systems.
"Road crashes are a silent pandemic that overwhelmingly affects developing countries. Every year over 1.19 million people die on the roads, and every second a young person will be disabled for life. I welcome the 24Seconds initiative as an innovative platform to engage with the private sector, which is a key stakeholder in preventing road crashes," said Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety.
"We need initiatives like 24Seconds to mobilize private funding to cut road traffic deaths and injuries by half by 2030. By launching this initiative at the Geneva Motor Show, we are calling on the automotive industry to play a key role in advancing road safety globally, on all continents. I hope to see many companies joining the initiative and demonstrating their commitment and leadership to make the roads safer for all, everywhere," noted UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean.
"Road safety isn't a privilege; it's a fundamental right and necessity that disproportionately impacts lives in low to middle income countries. The good news is that this problem has existing solutions we know work and can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively. Solutions implemented today can positively impact lives tomorrow. We are proud to support UNRSF through 24Seconds to both raise awareness and funds for their important work," said Daniel Wilkins, Executive Director for the PVBLIC Foundation.
